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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25750213">The Mouse and the Snake</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cartara/pseuds/Cartara'>Cartara</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Eventual reveal, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Is a Mess, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Romance, Secret Identity, Secret Relationship, Strangers to Lovers, but not really strangers lmao idiots, idiots to lovers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:47:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,729</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25750213</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cartara/pseuds/Cartara</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ladybug and Chat Noir get tired, sloppy, and overall messy, Rena Rouge and Carapace decide it's time for them to take a break from being superheroes for a while. Though not everyone is as happy with the solution they come up with. </p><p>The problem?</p><p>The heroes chosen are Multimouse and Aspik.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Multimouse/Aspik</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>82</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Mouse and the Snake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>The title, the tags, and the summary are temporary and are to be updated later.</p><p>Thank you for clicking on the story and I hope you enjoy reading!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marinette was tired.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Not the “If-I-Stop-Scrolling-I-Might-Fall-Asleep” tired, or the tired that you feel when the teacher just keeps droning on about something uninteresting. It wasn’t the tired that came with PE or running to school because the alarm went off at the wrong time, and ‘crap where were my socks again.’ It wasn’t the homework, or the projects, tests, or even the class representative duties that make you want to curl up and eat ice-cream while binging a new show you discovered. And it also wasn’t the bakery shifts or the social battery that kept draining empty no matter what.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was the seeping-into-your-bones-tired. The tired that made you not want to sleep, but pass out for a solid month, maybe more. The kind of tired that didn’t sneak up on you during a lecture or a conversation, but the kind that slowly made itself known, growing with each day and getting just a bit bigger each time you saw it. As if it were a friend you didn’t want, but it kept sticking next to you, slinging an arm over your shoulders as if you’ve been friends for life, and never letting go until it had wrapped you in a hug so tight you felt like you could never escape anymore.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette was tired, and Paris was suffering from it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It had started about two, maybe three months ago. Marinette, as Ladybug, of course, was trying to figure out how to use her Lucky Charm against the Akuma of the day when she took a step wrong and twisted her ankle. (It was a justified mistake if she looked back on it now. Hawkmoth had decided that it was the ideal moment to send out at least one Akuma a day, sometimes even more. Even Tikki was starting to complain about how often she was tired. Marinette didn’t even want to imagine Plagg.) Chat Noir, loyal idiot that he was, had immediately dived in front of her to protect her from the Akuma’s next attack. He’d ended up getting thrown over half of the Louvre Square.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette didn’t dare to open the Ladyblog for over a week after that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They’d defeated that Akuma with little problem afterward, both running on pure adrenaline and the want to just get it over with already. After their duty-bound fistbump, there was a mutual agreement that they would not let it happen again. Ladybug had limped into an alley to detransform despite having been partially healed by the Miraculous Ladybugs, and Chat Noir had walked away instead of using his baton to propel himself over the rooftops of the city.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Marinette found herself falling asleep during History class the next day, but luckily, Alya had let her sleep and later shared her notes with her. Miss Bustier hadn’t noticed because of a miracle or something, and Marinette had gotten away with it. Lila, of course, had taken some advantage of the situation and had managed to get to sit next to Adrien for a whole week because of some stupid reason Marinette hadn’t bothered to remember. Something with a class president being in the back because of ‘fill in the blank’ and Lila being in the front because ‘I’m the best blablabla’. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alya had left any comments on the situation to herself, which had sent Marinette into another fit in her bedroom with Tikki trying to get her to think reasonably. Marinette had skipped patrol and went to bed immediately after dinner. She felt better the next day, luckily. Both mentally and physically. She’d be okay to patrol again, give it her all in school, and keep the city safe at the same time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’d be fine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But despite having promised to each other they would not slip up or get hurt again, they did. After two months of daily fighting and an increasement in the power of the Akumas, they made a crucial mistake. Rena Rouge and Carapace were on the lower half of the Eiffel Tower, fighting off little minions the Akuma had made out of paper and trying to keep the civilians out of harm’s way. They’d been relieved from their roles of temporary heroes after a weekend of five Akumas and promoted to temporary </span>
  <em>
    <span>permanent</span>
  </em>
  <span> heroes. Alya and Nino had seen the clips. Paris’s heroes were exhausted and in need of help. So when Ladybug had shown up on Alya’s balcony with both Miraculouses, they’d gladly accepted them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had been reluctant to give Alya the Fox Miraculous back since the whole Miracle Queen debacle, but Hawkmoth had yet to attack any revealed heroes, and when Chat had pointed out the fact that the Miraculous could give her some protection, Marinette was convinced to hand it over. Besides, Alya could fend for herself, even more so when Nino was there as well.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the top of the Tower, trying to take out the source of the little paper ninjas, get the Akuma de-evilized, and go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>bed</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Two in the morning wasn’t an ideal moment to be exerting themselves, and both of them were getting sluggish in their dodges of the paper tornadoes they were constantly being attacked with. Two shots at the same time had Ladybug bump into Chat Noir, who immediately steadied her on her feet, and a third shot blew them over the edge of the broken railings. Rena and Carapace had felt their hearts falter for a second or two as they watched the two fall. And keep falling, and falling, and…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Impeccable timing from Chat Noir and a well-aimed shot from Ladybug saved their lives. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>(The Akuma was not talked about again.)</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rena Rouge used her flute to fling the last ninjas out of her way to the two heroes, while Carapace smacked a few stragglers over the side as well as he ran after her. After making sure both were okay enough to continue, the four of them circled the Akuma and took care of it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rena felt like she had responsibility all of a sudden, with Ladybug lagging behind and Chat Noir silently helping her keep up. It was...odd, to run in front of them with Carapace. Like she was overstepping an unspoken boundary. She knew it was not a problem at the moment, considering everything. But still. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she should be behind Paris’s protectors, even though she was one herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She found it scary, to face the Akuma head-on as she charged at it without a layer of protection.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carapace had to jump in front of Chat Noir too many times to be considered teamwork, and Ladybug had to rely on one of Rena’s illusions to circle the Akuma to get the final hit in. The butterfly was captured, the Miraculous Ladybugs fixed the damage done, and the heroes were left panting on the spire of the Eiffel Tower at a quarter past two in the morning, Paris having gone back to sleep.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The girl having been Akumatized apologized profusely to them and assured she was fine to get back home after giving her moms a call to explain everything, and then they’d come to pick her up. The heroes had waved her off before Rena turned to Ladybug and Chat Noir, who looked like they were gonna collapse any second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rena was about to say something about it when Chat Noir’s Miraculous sounded that beep dreaded by every single one of them. “Talk tomorrow?” Ladybug offered with a sheepish smile, her Miraculous also beeping. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rena narrowed her eyes and felt Carapace do the same. “Let’s meet here at 7,” he said with a small nod, as if he was the leader of the team. Because that’s what they were. A </span>
  <em>
    <span>team</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “You two need to go.” ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Not because of your timer, but because of yourself.’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>The fact that the two of them were still standing and had been fighting only a few moments ago was both impressive and worrisome. Exactly how long had they been exhausted like this, still going despite everything? All the patrols, the fights, the interviews…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alya felt guilt creep up on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll make sure nothing was missed,” Rena added when she saw Ladybug try to open her mouth to protest. “Go to bed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two should head home soon as well,” Chat Noir yawned as he turned, offering a hand to Ladybug, who took it without any protest. “You don’t want to be left this high at this time of night without a refill.” He extended his pole and flew away, Ladybug clinging to him like a koala, and disappeared between the shadows of the buildings.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carapace sighed, deflated, as he looked after the two. “Let’s just hope they don’t get themselves in trouble before tomorrow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rena put her flute back in its holster on her back and crossed her arms as she frowned. “They’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>already</span>
  </em>
  <span> in trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her room was warm and sunny as she climbed down from her balcony after patrol the next day. Dropping her transformation just as her feet touched her mattress, Marinette plopped down on it with a pained groan, not wanting to get out of bed for anything for the rest of the day. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alya is too perceptive and won’t forgive you if you don’t go,” Tikki said, as if she’d read Marinette’s mind. After taking a cookie from the platter on the desk, she floated back to Marinette’s pillow and sat on her owner’s head. (Marinette slept easier when Tikki was there, as they’d discovered a while ago.) “You should go and hear what she has to say.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But I’m tired! And there’s still those History notes I have to copy from Alya, and Jagged’s order is still waiting on me”—she waved at the desk littered with fabrics and papers—“</span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> I have to make sure Damocles gets the right proposals from the class reps.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or,” Tikki said with a yawn, “you take a nap, have dinner, go see what Alya and Nino wanted from you and Chat Noir, and finish what you can afterward.” She nestled in Marinette’s hair with a content sigh. “It’s important to take care of yourself too, Marinette.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tikki was met with soft snores.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<h1>
  <span>*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*</span>
</h1><p> </p><p>
  <span>A quick nap and a good dinner later, Ladybug raced over the rooftops of Paris, her yoyo spinning from her hands and wrapping around the necessary chimneys to get to the Eiffel Tower as fast as she could. Her parents had waited on her to finish her whole plate </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> a dessert, while all Marinette wanted to do was go and get it all done. She needed that one hour tonight to finish her projects, and she hadn’t sketched something in a while. Her hands itched for her pencils, but they were met with her yoyo as it retracted mid-air and she floated over the street.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bonsoir, M’Lady.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, Chat,” she greeted as she rolled to a stop on the rooftop. He was leaning on his staff, smiling at her with fatigue. She could see him put his weight on the bō instead of on the roof directly with his feet. “Any idea what they want with us tonight?” she asked, not sure if she was stalling or not wanting to talk to Chat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Only one way to find me-ow-t.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, okay,” she laughed. “You’ve made better puns, though.” She pointed at him with an accusing finger. “Are you getting tired of making them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Never!” he exclaimed with a grin. “Im-paw-sibble! Do you dare assume I would e-fur be feline like not making puns? Are you kitten me? Pre-paw-sterous!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You used </span>
  <em>
    <span>paw</span>
  </em>
  <span> twice.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat shrugged as he put the bottom of his bō on the edge and winked. “Some things just stay amazing.” He extended his baton and danced over the rooftops towards the Eiffel Tower.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The compliment warmed her as she stood still at the edge of the rooftop. “C’mon, </span>
  <em>
    <span>focus</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she told herself with a shake of her head before she jumped and shot through the cold night air, wind whipping at her reddening face. Chat Noir could be a bit of a child sometimes, or a flirt, but it was also...kind of nice? He had to be around her age and seeing someone enjoy the little things like </span>
  <em>
    <span>puns</span>
  </em>
  <span> didn’t happen all that often anymore. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And she was used to the flirting. It was part of their routine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Puns and flirting aside, Ladybug supposed he was also her pillar. Without him, she never would’ve been able to get where she was now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first ‘meeting’, she had had with him… He had seemed so comfortable. She had felt terrible, to be literally swinging over Paris in a magic spandex suit, and there he was. Walking over a thin pole stretched between two buildings, completely at ease with everything. He’d looked so </span>
  <em>
    <span>excited</span>
  </em>
  <span> about it all. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then there was her. Good ol’ Marinette the Klutz, just wanting to have a comfortable school year, completely normal without complications, just having heard she was supposed to save Paris. Maybe even the world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’d literally steadied her on her feet and told her she could do it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d never properly thanked him, had she?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat Noir sat on his baton, which he had stuck between the supporting beams of the Tower, and offered her a hand as she worked her way up. She took it with a grateful smile and let herself be pulled on the actual platform. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carapace and Rena Rouge looked at them weird before muttering something to each other. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m starting to dread this,” Ladybug sighed as Chat Noir put his baton back on his back and crossed his arms. “They seem so...determined.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Determined looks better on you, Bugaboo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And I like you better when you don’t throw yourself straight into danger.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Me-owtch, M’Lady,” he said, clutching his chest. “Can’t a knight in magic armor defend a woman, despite her being able to do it herself? Chivalry isn’t dead if I have anything to say about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I forgive you,” she laughed. “But don’t do it again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I promise to try.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug shot him another fond smile before turning to Rena and Carapace, who were done with their little conversation and ready to tackle whatever problem there was. “You wanted to talk, we’re here, so let’s get to it. What’s up?” she said, not feeling like wasting more time. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You two need to stop.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rena,” Carapace hissed. He shot them a sheepish smile. “What she’s trying —and failing— to say, is that you two are </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> tired and need some </span>
  <em>
    <span>serious</span>
  </em>
  <span> rest, dudes. A-and we’re not trying to tell you how to do your jobs or anything, but—“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You fell off the Tower.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carapace shot Rena another look, which she returned with a cross of her arms and an undignified “What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s okay, Carapace,” Ladybug said, her voice leaning towards something between a sigh and a whisper. “She’s just trying to look out for us. And we appreciate it.” Alya had been nagging her at school to stop taking on too many commissions and get an actual good night's sleep. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘Ms. Bustier wouldn’t mind one day of missed homework.’</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s nice to have someone watching our backs,” Chat added with a lazy flick of his tail. (Marinette still wondered how he controlled it.) “Usually it’s just M’Lady and me against the world, but having you two here really improved our skills, both individually and as a team.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The cat speaks,” Rena said with a little smirk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Since when?” Ladybug added. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didn’t know it did that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat gave an amused sigh and a fake tug at his hair while his ears flattened on his head. “I’m trying to be sincere here, and does it get the appreciation it deserves? No! You’re all mean.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sorry Chaton, the opportunity was too good to pass up on,” she smiled. “Also— Rena started it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re drifting away from the subject,” Carapace jumped in before Rena could tackle Ladybug. (All in good fun, of course, but he knew Alya could pack a serious punch.) “I’m not sure how you two would try to fix it, but you need a break.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sleep. Relax. Do some quality homework. Get those commissions done. Have a normal conversation with Adrien. Go to the movies with Alya. Hang out with the girls. Beat her dad in Ultimate Mecha-Strike III. Figure out the Miracle Box issue. Get her head straight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about Paris?” she said instead, mind going in Ladybug-mode automatically. “We can’t just...go on a </span>
  <em>
    <span>vacation</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The city needs protecting.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“From Akumas, yes,” Rena agreed. “But what about the rest? There’s plenty other times when you two take care of things other people could do— the city doesn’t need you two </span>
  <em>
    <span>specifically</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Don’t take this the wrong way, but someone else could take over.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We can’t possibly ask that of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat put a hand to his chin in thought. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would only be for a little while!” Rena added with a little bounce on her heels, her hands pressed together in front of her. “Either one of us or another hero could take over patrols and the non-Akuma threats, and you two could take a break. The heroes would let you know if there was an Akuma so you could take care of it, and get some rest in between.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Those two had been planning this. This was a way too well-articulated proposal to be thought of in a spur. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It would be nice to take a break,” Chat muttered. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug whirled towards him. “You can’t possibly be considering this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re getting sloppy, Bugaboo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Capitulation. Great. Her partner, who wanted nothing more in the world to be fighting crime and protecting the city (with her), wanted to take a break from said duties. Fantastic. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We‘ll think about it, apparently.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We </span>
  <em>
    <span>are</span>
  </em>
  <span> a democracy.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug put her hands over her eyes and groaned before planting them firmly in her sides. “We’re going to talk about it, let you know what we decide. There are some planning and rules that need to be discussed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be heading out, then,” Carapace said as he grabbed Rena’s arm, who was clearly not done with her reasoning just yet. “You two talk.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“See you tomorrow, probably!” Chat Noir yelled after the two, Rena already whining about wanting to stay out longer. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what are we going to do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug groaned. “Chat, I do want to talk to you about this, I really do, but let me get my thoughts in order. Please? Five minutes, I promise.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course, M’Lady. Don’t worry your pretty head about it too much, though. I can do some thinking as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Chat.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>While he sat down near the edge of the platform and looked out over the city, Ladybug stayed rooted in her spot, staring at nothing in particular. Thinking. Mulling. Hoping. Stressing the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She needed a heck of a lot more time than just five minutes to figure out what to do. This wasn’t just one fight, the Miraculous back in the Miracle Box immediately afterward. This was handing out Miraculous for a while. This was a long-term solution. Maybe for weeks, </span>
  <em>
    <span>months</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Until… Until when? Until they weren’t tired anymore? Until the previous heroes were good to come back into action and the fights? Until they’d defeated Hawkmoth? Until they were revealed?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What was she supposed to do? Let Alya and Nino take more patrols? Make herself and Chat switch out their patrols for solo ones? Leave them? Get </span>
  <em>
    <span>new</span>
  </em>
  <span> heroes? She was the Guardian now, but that didn’t mean she was planning on handing out the Miraculous more. They’d be easier to get now in a crisis, but patrols?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Who would they even ask?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What if she made the wrong choice? What if she didn’t match the Miraculous right? Who would she trust to take over patrols? Who would act responsibly? Who didn’t Hawkmoth know the identity of? Who could they </span>
  <em>
    <span>trust</span>
  </em>
  <span>?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Bugaboo?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘M’fine,” she called back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’re just </span>
  <em>
    <span>standing</span>
  </em>
  <span> here,” Chat whispered as he appeared beside her, his hand landing softly on her shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She wanted to cry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a big choice to make,” she eventually decided to say. “I just...want to make sure I make the right one, you know? It’s the responsibility of the Guardian, and...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That doesn’t mean you’re on your own in this,” he interrupted with a determined voice. She turned her head so she was looking him in the eye, and Chat looked like he wanted to do nothing more than hug her right there and then. “I’m still here, M’Lady, and I’m not leaving anytime soon. And whatever you decide”—he grabbed her hand and softly put his lips to her knuckles with a smile—“I’ll support you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Taking the Miracle Box out from where she’d hidden it in her room was odd enough as it was. Having the key out of its usual spot was just plain weird. And taking both out for an evening stroll the next day felt completely crazy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The large polka-dotted...</span>
  <em>
    <span>egg</span>
  </em>
  <span> was uncomfortable to hold onto as she catapulted herself over the rooftops with one arm. It nearly slipped out of her hands when she had to swerve to avoid an opening balcony door, but managed to make it to the Eiffel Tower without dropping anything, herself included.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The top of the Tower was cold under her feet as she scaled it, the wind getting progressively more intense the higher she got. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘He better not be here already,’</span>
  </em>
  <span> Marinette thought, the mental image of Chat Noir sitting in the cold for too long stinging at her conscience. With one last leap, she landed safely on the top platform. With the strong breeze coming from behind her and Chat Noir nowhere in sight, she rounded the observation room in the middle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sat with his back against the wall, one leg sticking out and the other crossed over it. His arms were folded over his chest, and his head lay on his shoulder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sleeping.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my God,” Ladybug whispered, holding a hand over her mouth to try and failing to suppress her smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Regretting every move she made next, she sat down in front of him crossed-legged and poked at his nose. “Wakey wakey, you stray.” He scrunched his nose and sank deeper into his shoulder. “Come on, Chat, you don’t want cramps,” she said and tapped his shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hrmm…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Chaton</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cracking open one eye, he dared to glare at her for two wh0le seconds before suddenly waking up and laughing awkwardly. “Whoops.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sleeping on the job now, are we?” Mustering up an amused smirk instead of a smile, she put down the Miracle Box and took the key out of her yoyo. “I thought you’d be more excited,” she mused, looking up at him through her eyelashes as she put the key in the hole. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am!” And then he was sitting on his knees like an excited toddler, and she couldn’t help but forgive him in an instant. “I have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fantastic</span>
  </em>
  <span> idea.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She’d opened the Miracle Box once before, in the dead of night with Tikki, curtains drawn and other comforters tucked between remaining openings. The light the Miracle Box emitted when opened was new. It reminded Marinette of her yoyo, with a white void staring at her until after a few seconds, when the Miraculous appeared on small platforms, their respective patterns and signs drawn on top of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat blinked the spots out of his eyes and stared at the opened egg, the top having split open as if it were wings. “Wow,” he muttered. “Did the old one do that or did your </span>
  <em>
    <span>genius</span>
  </em>
  <span> brain make it do that?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug rolled her eyes at the comment and gestured at the contents instead. “You said you had an idea?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do!” he answered as he reached into the Miracle Box and carefully took out the </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mouse Miraculous</span>
  </em>
  <span>. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng would be amazing!” Chat exclaimed, the amulet laying in his palm. Yelling at her. Staring at her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Teasing</span>
  </em>
  <span> her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She and Mullo were gonna have a </span>
  <em>
    <span>talk</span>
  </em>
  <span>...</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s quite the enthusiasm you got there. Are you sure?” Ladybug laughed, her hands clenching around the Miracle Box, panic gripping at her lungs. “I mean, she’s a great student and has her priorities straight and all, but wouldn’t it be a bit much to put that responsibility on her? What if she’s already, you know, </span>
  <em>
    <span>busy</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have complete faith in her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart fluttered at the praise. God, he could be serious sometimes. His eyes were radiating adoration and certainty, and Marinette felt like she could burst out in a speech of how much she appreciated it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Think about how useful the Mouse could be in this situation,” he continued. “The ability to be in multiple places at once, sneaking in and out of places unnoticed, movement flexibility for patrols—“ His gaze seemed to get serious for a second. “And she wasn’t revealed during Miracle Queen, so she’s going to be completely safe as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh boy, he had seriously thought about this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And she did an amazing job last time as well.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>True. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Let’s say, </span>
  <em>
    <span>hypothetically</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” she accentuated, “that we get Multimouse back in the field. </span>
  <em>
    <span>If</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Marinette has no prior experience running around in the field.” The lie rolled off her tongue with practiced ease, and the guilt she used to feel about lying was too far buried to rear its ugly head. “So who do we pair her with? She’s used the miraculous once, but running patrols </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone…</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should get someone else to go on patrols with her,” he concluded. It sounded so simple when he said it. Like it had just been </span>
  <em>
    <span>right there</span>
  </em>
  <span> all this time. It probably was and she had been overthinking it again. “But who? It can’t be a new holder. Sending out two inexperienced people together would only be trouble.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How about two holders who both have some experience, then?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug shuffled where she sat and leaned back against the railing with her arms and legs crossed. “Who are you thinking of? Nearly everyone got exposed during Miracle Queen, so we don’t exactly have a lot of options…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat seemed to hesitate, shuffling in his spot and tail flicking in uncertainty. “...How about Aspik?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Absolutely not,” she blurted out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat Noir sputtered for a good few seconds before staring her straight in the eyes, an emotion in his eyes Ladybug couldn’t figure out with how short it lasted. “Wha— Why not? You said it yourself: he’s not been revealed since Luka took the Miraculous, he’s got some experience, and he knows how the Miraculous works. He’s got a sense of responsibility with it as well...”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I suppose that’s true…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You could just ask him, and if he refuses, we can look for someone else.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He put on a smile that didn’t feel entirely sincere to her, but she let it go. It was late and she had things to do at home. “Alright. I guess we’re gonna ask them.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll take the Snake Miraculous to Adrien, then,” Chat Noir said quickly. Ladybug raised an eyebrow at the enthusiasm but otherwise handed it over to him, silently glad she wouldn’t have to ask Adrien to do it again. She felt guilty enough as it was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’ll bring the Mouse to Marinette, then.” She closed the Miracle Box and stood up simultaneously with Chat, who grinned at her. “I propose we let them meet on top of the Notre Dame since that’s a bit easier to get up to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Friday evening? 7 o’clock?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sounds good.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chat rolled on the balls of his feet and gave her a quick two-fingered salute. “I’ll see you at the next Akuma, M’Lady.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not to be rude, but I hope that’s gonna take a while.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He smiled as he jumped on top of the railing. “Always a charmer, you.” He fell backward off the Tower, spinning his baton to lessen his speed, and started vaulting away as he got to the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ladybug descended the Tower more slowly, and carefully, with the Miracle Box in hand, started making her way back home.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had things to do.</span>
</p>
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